I apologize in advance if I offend any of my LGBT friends, but I have
to ask: How is an Olympic competitor's sexual orientation relevant to
their athletic ability?
Overheard on TV: "So-and-so has won the
gold medal. They have just set a new speed record. They are also gay!"
Umm, ok. That's like analyzing someone's performance and finishing
with "They also have brown hair!" I just don't see the relevance.
Every person has thousands of identifiable traits. Some of which may
be relevant to an athletic ability: height, weight, dedication,
reflexes, intelligence, stamina, etc. How is it that their sexual
orientation (or religion, or skin color) has become noteworthy in
regards to their athleticism? Even when expressed as a positive
annotation about the person, making it a prominent issue seems to
further entrench the perception that the person is "different" somehow,
that they excelled "in spite" of their orientation as if it were a
deficiency or failing to overcome. Orientation, race, and religion are
not handicaps. A person just accomplished the incredible. Not a gay
person, or a white person, or a Hindu person. A Person. Enough with
the irrelevant labeling.
